Painting my problems
by DavidAlatriste
Summary: Ty Lee is worried by Azula's behavior and decides she must express it somehow before she does something dumb. AU. Tyzula


Red (energy), Yellow (positivity), Orange (enthusiasm) Prompts: "I didn't know you were an artist", (smell) alcohol, (quote) What makes things memorable is that they are meaningful, significant, colorful. - Joshua Foer

Word Count: 2,039

I've never minded having to pick up Azula after work, in fact, I sorta like to pick her up after she's done in the stock exchange.

What I've been minding as of late, is that after work she goes off with her co-workers to a bar and gets drunk. Fortunately, the bar owner is an old friend of ours, Mai, who doesn't mind to call me so I can pick her up at like one a.m.

This is one of those days in which I'm wondering if I should do something, that if I should ask her if something's wrong? I've always found it to be quite tricky to know what Azula is thinking; She was raised by her dad (Her mom left them and her brother when she was 7) who's a big political figure up in the capital, and she was always expected to be perfect, which trust me she is in every aspect, but I've felt as of late she's keeping something to herself.

We've been together since Junior High, my dad's a friend of her father and we used to play as little girls, but in Junior High we really started to hang out a bit more than just at the parties either of our dads did for their friends.

We used to only talk and while to others she could be mean and sometimes plain evil, to me she was alluring and interesting. A different side I grew to love over the years.

Then College came and one night we just talked about this sort of tension that existed between us; neither of us thought the other felt it, yet we did. The only way I can describe it is as this energy that jolted in the air every time I went on a date and she made a snazzy comment about them, or the few times she went out and had fun and I made all sorts of comments that were either double entendres or jealousy-hinted.

I still blush at how that night ended.

We knew what we we're up against with both our fathers being extra-conservative, but mine took it better than hers; suddenly Azula was an orphan whose parents lived on. I doubt that's what's affecting her, she never liked her dad and her mom was never there even when she was there. Her brother was cocky and prideful, so he was out of the question when it came to positive family relations.

The only thing I've liked of this part of town it's how lively and energetic it is at night; you can feel the energy swirl in the air and the enthusiasm as people are fueled by music and booze into going crazy.

As I entered Mai's bar, I am reacquainted to why I hated this side of town; the stench of alcohol made me cringe and the sight of Azula starting to fall asleep on the counter was saddening.

Mai just acknowledged me with her head and helped Azula to her feet.

"She's going to have a hell of a hangover in the morning." Mai said as we walked her into my car. Hers was going to stay here for awhile it seems, with Azula coming here every afternoon.

Is it me? Am I doing this to her somehow? What am I missing? Maybe we haven't had intimacy recently, but I doubt it's that. She would've just told me. She can be that direct with some things.

I knew working in the stock exchange was going to take its toll on her, but I doubt it's that; Azula had an amazing tolerance to stress that made me wonder a lot how didn't she had an ulcera or worse.

Maybe it was all adding up, all those years of rarely taking a break, or maybe she just wants to end things with me.

I stop at that. It's bad enough that I thought of it; but I'm so worried as to what to do. This is the fifth time this month, and we're barely to the 16th!

I decide that the best way to deal with this is to sit her down tomorrow and talk this out. That always works with her, instead of something stupid or risky you do something smart to get her attention. And it's affecting me, so as a couple we need talk about it.

I make her take some water before laying her down on our bed. It used to be mine, since she moved in with me instead of me moving in with her into her fabulous apartment in the rich part of town. She had anything she could ask for and dropped it when we decided to live together. If I needed a proof of her love, it was that.

My apartment isn't bad, it's just not as good, and I'm telling myself this so I don't panic over if she's missing her old luxuries, even though her father raised her in a Spartan way; with simple accommodations so she wouldn't turn out to be a spoiled brat later on.

I can't sleep with this in my head; What am I missing from the picture? What can be so bad that's getting Azula to do this to herself? Why in the world would my decisive, self-assured Azula would start drinking?

I know our personalities and horoscopes don't really match but we always went around those to be with each other; Azula wasn't that much of a relentless, predatory person around me and I was a more tolerant person to her jokes about Poles and other ethnicities.

It may be around 3 am at this point but I don't care; I need to distract myself a little, let all the bad stuff find its way out of me and let the energy of the universe re-kindle my positivity and enthusiasm for what we have.

The mere thought of it makes me happier already and it inspires me to what I'm setting up. I'm a little rusty since with the move I haven't had the time to sit and let myself go crazy with the canvas.

Instead of my habitual abstract works, where the colors represent my feeling and the pattern they take is how they each bond into me acting or doing something as I go, I decide to paint something more concrete, something to adequately express all I'm feeling.

It starts off as a transitioning piece where there's this red fire is at the base, sending smoke into the air, but the sun breaks through. Azula has a way to get to people, her mere passion leaves behind this trail that affects others and intoxicates them. I don't think I can come up with a better representation for her. They are just so alike that's impossible for them not to be one. Maybe in another dimension she could even control it. Bend it to her will.

Next I paint what I think to be myself, and for that I add a majestic sun. The sun has an orange tinge from due to the mix colour of the fire and sun. We are like that, she burns with passion, sometimes destructive and dangerous for those who get too close or fight it; and I shine through it and a somehow we're the same, passionate people doing what we love to do.

I add some water to it to represent our relationship, since in it we're reflected and both are coming together to create something beautiful out of what we as individuals are.

I know it's crazy but I really feel reenergized with this, and I don't even notice the sun is up already until I hear a groan coming from the bedroom. I start to make Azula breakfast while she gets a hold of herself and becomes, or tries to become self-sufficient again.

I would normally help someone in her state but she's so prideful that she will rather crawl around than to let someone help her. Even if that person is me.

The first thing she notices is the painting, and she glances at it for quite a while. I try not to make a fuss out of it. She finally draws breath and exclaims "I didn't know you were an artist. There's more to you with every day"

I just grin and say "Well, I couldn't sleep and I felt…inspired" I try to sound reassured but Azula can read people, especially me, like billboards.

"What's wrong?" Azula glares at me and thankfully she isn't from Krypton or else this is the moment her eyes go red and I catch fire.

"I…" Come on Ty, you know you need to talk about it "I'm feeling like something's wrong. You've been drinking a lot this month and I'm worried about you. I know your job is demanding but I really can't tell what's making you drink until they have to call me to get you. You've done this five times this month, and I'm not complaining, but I'm worried. There's something you're either not telling me or am I failing to see in the big picture"

Azula just goes silent and I'm scared. I've never seen her like this. She just purses her lips and takes a sit in the table. I forget about breakfast and sit in front of her. I just stare at her, trying to get her to talk to me and she just says it like if she couldn't believe it.

"My dad's dying. And my mom had another kid after she left us."

I'm speechless and for a minute I'm not even sure what to say, I just glare at her, clearly surprised before muttering "What?"

"My brother wrote me a letter. After all the stuff we did to each other I thought I was rid of him." Azula grins and she just goes back to her solemn expression "He's on this quest to reunify the family. He's with my Uncle and they're looking after dad. He says he found mom."

I just want to hear more of it. I never thought I'd see the day she would care about her dad.

"How come he found her while your dad didn't? Didn't he have her picture on posted on billboards?"

"Yes, but turns out she had a facial surgery right after she left. She then went on and lived with an old sweetheart of hers and eventually had another kid."

I just glare at Azula with my mouth opened.

"And that's the reason you've been like this?"

"Yes. I know I've never cared about either of them but now knowing about them. I just don't want to care but I sort of care. It's stupid. I'm sorry I let it get to you." Azula made a move to stand up and leave but I don't let her.

"No" I just tell her and she glares at me like if I've walked on water.

"It's great you care. Shows you're human. Not that perfect machine your dad molded you into. Where is he and why?" I ask her convinced that we must go at once.

"Belleview. But we're not going to see him. First you're going to explain that to me." Azula points to the painting. "It doesn't strike me as something you made out of worry. It's too colorful for that."

"Is it bad?" I'm a little scared of her criticism, she's brutally honest with it.

"What makes things memorable is that they are meaningful, significant, colorful. And that one is memorable to society in general. It's a great work. Maybe not a Goya but still, quite good."

I just want to punch her, and make out with her at the same time but I just cope her face and smile at her.

"I was worried it was us, so I painted us, as the energies we are and how we meld into each other to make something beautifully unique." I say and Azula just grins.

"That was cheesy. Also quite inspired."

I decide to mock punch her in the shoulder and she attacks me with tickles at my side that become something else, and I end up reassured we'll last longer than anything I represented us with.


End file.
